DIY Vertical Herb Garden

Walker and I are happy that the blistering heat is starting to work its way out of Los Angeles (okay, so it isn’t quite gone yet but fingers crossed!) and we are gearing up for cooler weather. One thing that I have been wanting to do as soon as summer ended is to plant a new herb garden (mine cooked to a crisp in August last year). Since the heat isn’t quite gone yet and because there are still some fairly cold nights in winter, I wanted to make something that was very portable and could easily take up residence on our kitchen table in front of the window. I also figured that, for a lot of you, an indoor herb garden was your only option since you have REALLY cold winters!

So I began planning. With only one window and a very tiny kitchen table, I knew I had to think small. I saw some cute hanging planter options but that wouldn’t be portable or allow me to bring the herbs outdoors to enjoy a moderate afternoon. They also typically required a few holes in the walls, which I try to avoid as a renter! So then I thought… why not go vertical? I did a little more research and only found some very large scale vertical planters for outdoor use (such as this one that is over 4 feet tall). So I decided to adapt the idea for indoor use (and do it as inexpensively as possible).

And that brings us to the part where you usually see a lot of pictures and a few steps. But I am taking a walk on the wild side today and am trying something a little different… a video tutorial!

For those who can’t watch videos at work or gave up listening to me blabber after a few minutes, here are the basic steps:

1. Fill the 8.5 inch pot about two-thirds of the way with soil and pack it down very tightly.

2. Insert the metal rod into the center of the pot. The soil should be packed enough that the rod is already able to stand up on its own.

3. Slide a 4.5 inch clay pot over the rod and set it at an angle off to one side. Use soil to build around the small pot to bury it a little and create a supportive base for the weight of the pot (none of the weight should really be on the rod. In fact, it should actually help stabilize the rod). Place soil into the small pot in order to help anchor it in place. It should be very sturdy before you move onto the next step.

4. One at a time, slide the remaining 4.5 inch pots over the rod and rest them on the previous pot at an angle going in the opposite direction. The base should rest on the edge of the previous pot and the top should rest against the rod. Fill the base of each pot with soil to anchor it down before moving on to the next pot. If the entire structure starts to lean, adjust the angle and support of the first (partially buried) 4.5 inch pot. The rest of the pots depend on the angle and support of this first pot.

5. Now that you have the structure of the planter in place, it is time to plant your herbs and enjoy! Make sure you give them all a good watering to begin with and then water according the the provided instructions.

6. Create fun herb labels using wine corks and wood BBQ skewers. Use a marker to write the name of the herb on the cork, cut the skewers down to a smaller size, insert the pointy end of the skewer into the cork, and place the opposite end into the soil. All labelled! :)

So there you have it: a DIY Vertical Herb Garden for indoor use in the fall for under $14 ($26 if you count the herbs!). We love our fun, funky little herb garden! Not only does it make our kitchen smell like magic, but it is also a new sculptural centerpiece for our kitchen table!**So let’s get back to that video thing. I positively hate watching myself on camera but I would love your opinion, especially if you feel differently! Yay or nay on future video tutorials? Did you enjoy the change of pace? I will aim to make them shorter in the future but I was just having so much fun playing with dirt on my kitchen table. ;)**

43 Responses to "DIY Vertical Herb Garden"

The next YouTube video sensation: Cozy Cubbyhole :P
I can’t actually listen to the video at work, but I did skim thru it a bit and you look like a natural in front of the camera! Very bubbly! LOL. I say yes to future videos, because I’m a visual learner :)

You’re a natural! I love that I got to see more of your personality through the video, you should totally make more of these. Love the herb garden too, gonna make one of these for my verandah! Enjoy the rest of your week :)

OH MY GOSH!!! Something easy, cute, and I can do. I am making one this weekend as I cook only with fresh herbs. I have a big herb garden outside but would love to have some in the kitchen. This is perfect. If I can do it as well I plan to give these as gifts!!

So sorry it took me so long to respond… I took a bit of a hiatus this year to graduate and get married (yay!). So happy you like it! We are the same way about cooking with fresh herbs. And I think they would make GREAT gifts — good idea! :)

Robyn

July 5, 2014 at 6:43 pm

Hi Erika!
I’m curious, have you ever ran into any issues with bugs/gnats/fruit flies with keeping the herbs indoors? I’ve tried Basil/Cilantro/Mint in doors and we always seem to end up with little bugs (even when I’m very careful not to over-water) especially fruit flies in the summer…Just curious as to your experience? Thanks!

Hello Robyn! So sorry it took me so long to respond… I took a bit of a hiatus this year to graduate and get married (yay!). We haven’t had many issues with fruit flies, though we don’t typically get them in general here. I wish I could be of more help, but we haven’t really had to fight with those little buggers. Good luck!

Roberta Cohalla

Thank you Roberta! Rocks would be a great idea as well (though it would make the pot a bit heavy for portable indoor usage). We have had it for several years now without any wobble issues, as long as you get the pots nestled in securely! Rocks would certainly help secure things in place too! :)

Denver

February 28, 2016 at 2:06 pm

I really love this project! There are so many possibilities with what can actually be planted and how it can be used. This would be a great house warming gift.
Has anyone suggested making this project with succulents?
Thanks for the idea,
Denver

Thank you, Denver! I absolutely agree! When we moved to a new house, the herb garden no longer had a spot where it grew well so we replaced them with succulents in this planter for our outdoor garden. It looks great! I always thought it would be pretty with flowers too!